Do You Live in One of New York’s Liquor-Loving Zip Codes?

Have you ever wondered which cities and counties in New York have the highest number of liquor licenses? Or just how many establishments in the state are serving liquor daily?

Maybe you’re wondering why you would want to know that in the first place.

We think there are a few reasons. First, it’s interesting. New York and liquor have a long and storied history together. Tracing its presence across the state and throughout time tells us something about New Yorkers’ relationship with “the hard stuff.”

More importantly, as New York personal injury attorneys, we’re interested in the relationship between liquor consumption and auto accidents (as well as other types of injuries).

But first, let us be clear: it isn’t our mission to “liquor shame” anyone’s zip code. Alcohol is perfectly legal, and most adults are able to enjoy it safely, relying on moderation and designated drivers to avoid the risk of harm.

Still, it stands to reason that where there is a higher concentration of liquor licenses, there might also be a higher concentration of alcohol abuse. And to the extent that other people’s abuse of alcohol can interfere with your own safe use of the same substance — and the health and wellness of those around you — it’s worth noting. Indeed, as we will show below, there is some statistical overlap between the New York counties with the most liquor licenses and the counties with the highest number of DUI fatalities.

We’ve gone straight to the source — the New York State Liquor Authority — to get the following data for ourselves. The insights that follow are our own. We encourage you to browse the raw data we uncovered for yourself if you’re interested.

Top 10 Counties in New York with the Most Liquor Licenses

Let’s begin with a straightforward inquiry: which counties in New York have the highest total number of active liquor licenses?

Adjusted for Population: NY Counties with the Most Liquor Licenses Per Capita

Interestingly, that list looks a lot different when we adjust it for population. As you’ll see below, only one of the above-listed counties (New York County) still makes the list.

NY Zip Codes with the Highest Number of Liquor Licenses

Another way to look at the data? By zip code. Why? Because cities and counties often include multiple zip codes, by limiting our search to a single zip code at a time, we can get a better sense of just how locally concentrated liquor licenses are within a specific location.

The Top 10 New York zip codes with the largest number of liquor licenses are listed below. Do you live in one (or nearby)?

What We Mean by “Liquor License”

Not all liquor licenses are the same. The New York Liquor Authority (NYLA) issues different licenses for different purposes, with different regulations and restrictions applying to each. To get a better understanding of the liquor licenses in your area, we encourage you to contact the NYLA about the types of license most prevalent in your city, county, or zip code.

Below, we present the ten most common types of liquor license statewide:

How Long Has Your County Been in “High Spirits”?

Now for a little bit of trivia (because we came across this information during our research and found it fascinating… and we think you might too).

Find your county below, along with the date of its oldest active liquor license. Some counties have establishments that have been serving spirits for nearly 85 years. Others didn’t get started until the 1970s (or, at least, none of the earlier-established bars are still in business there).

You’ll notice that a lot of these liquor licenses date back to December 5, 1933 (or another date that same week), but no earlier. It’s no coincidence. It was on December 5th of 1933 that President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Congress’s repeal of the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution, effectively ending the national Prohibition.

The latest date on the list? October 1, 1978 — Columbia County.

County

Oldest License Date

ALBANY

December 5, 1933

ALLEGANY

December 7, 1933

BRONX

November 10, 1936

BROOME

February 6, 1946

CATTARAUGUS

October 1, 1934

CAYUGA

October 1, 1934

CHAUTAUQUA

December 8, 1933

CHEMUNG

December 5, 1933

CHENANGO

October 1, 1976

CLINTON

June 3, 1944

COLUMBIA

October 1, 1978

CORTLAND

July 18, 1945

DELAWARE

July 8, 1966

DUTCHESS

July 16, 1934

ERIE

December 5, 1933

ESSEX

August 7, 1946

FRANKLIN

September 20, 1945

FULTON

April 1, 1934

GENESEE

July 13, 1937

GREENE

January 17, 1947

HAMILTON

October 1, 1977

HERKIMER

October 1, 1935

JEFFERSON

October 1, 1940

KINGS

September 25, 1934

LEWIS

November 23, 1966

LIVINGSTON

June 26, 1947

MADISON

October 1, 1934

MONROE

August 1, 1933

MONTGOMERY

June 15, 1935

NASSAU

December 16, 1940

NEW YORK

December 5, 1933

NIAGARA

December 3, 1933

ONEIDA

March 31, 1935

ONONDAGA

December 5, 1933

ONTARIO

March 16, 1946

ORANGE

October 10, 1934

ORLEANS

April 1, 1935

OSWEGO

July 23, 1934

OTSEGO

August 10, 1950

PUTNAM

April 28, 1950

QUEENS

May 5, 1944

RENSSELAER

November 6, 1948

RICHMOND

May 11, 1956

ROCKLAND

March 30, 1962

SARATOGA

December 27, 1950

SCHENECTADY

January 20, 1956

SCHOHARIE

August 29, 1962

SCHUYLER

October 1, 1934

SENECA

October 1, 1938

ST LAWRENCE

July 29, 1946

STEUBEN

December 5, 1933

SUFFOLK

July 1, 1947

SULLIVAN

March 8, 1962

TIOGA

October 1, 1935

TOMPKINS

December 5, 1933

ULSTER

April 5, 1949

WARREN

January 2, 1963

WASHINGTON

June 1, 1965

WAYNE

December 22, 1939

WESTCHESTER

December 3, 1933

WYOMING

April 22, 1944

YATES

November 17, 1939

Key Takeaways

So what are we supposed to take away from all this data? Why does it really matter?

First, two observations immediately stand out to us:

The Bronx has the lowest number of liquor licenses per 100,000 residents in all of New York.

12 of the 15 zip codes with the most liquor licenses are in Manhattan.

What we’ve found is that many of the same counties appeared in both data sets.

The following eight counties appeared in both the Top 10 Counties in New York with the Most Liquor Licenses and the Top 10 Counties in New York with the Highest Number of DUI Fatalities (both lists unadjusted for population):

Westchester County (35 DUI deaths)

Onondaga County (38 DUI deaths)

Kings County (39 DUI deaths)

Monroe County (43 DUI deaths)

Erie County (49 DUI deaths)

Queens County (64 DUI deaths)

Nassau County (73 DUI deaths

Suffolk County (148 DUI deaths)

When we adjust those lists per capita, we find that four counties appear on both the Top 10 Counties in New York with the Most Liquor Licenses Per Capita and the Top 10 Counties in New York with the Highest Number of DUI Fatalities Per Capita:

Yates County (1.97 DUI deaths per 10,000 residents)

Greene County (2.03 DUI deaths per 10,000 residents)

Hamilton County (2.07 DUI deaths per 10,000 residents)

Seneca County (2.55 DUI deaths per 10,000 residents)

We certainly aren’t suggesting that these counties should stop serving liquor, nor that the state should restrict the number of licenses there.

Rather, we are merely urging residents in these areas to exercise caution, especially at night and on weekends, when DUI accidents tend to be more common.

Talk to a New York DUI Injury Lawyer at Siler & Ingber, LLP

Far too many people have lost their lives at the hands of drunk drivers in New York. If you or your loved one has been injured or killed in a Long Island DUI accident, you may be entitled to substantial financial compensation. Please contact an experienced Long Island DUI Accident lawyer at Siler & Ingber, LLP right away.